Acetylene-gas generator.



J. F. HOFFMAN.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR. APPLIGATION vFILED JULY 14. 1908.

91 0,538. Patentedjn. 26, 1909.

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m Elttowwgo J. F. HOFFMAN. AOETYLENB GAS GENERATOR. APPLIoATloN FILED JULY14. 190s.

'Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. F. HOFFMAN.

AGBTYLBNB GAS, GENERATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED mu 14. 190s.

910,538. Patented @11.26, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Inventor y ,fr I

l y Y A 7 l u I V I I lTOHN FRED OFFMAN, OF MOUND CITY, ILLINOIS.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed July 14, 1908. Serial No. 443,529.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FRED HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mound City, in the county of Pulaski and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to acetylene gas generators and has for its object to provide a strong, durable and thoroughly etlicient machine of the character described in which the carbid is automatically fed to the generator, and in which provision is made for the escape of gas from the holder in case of over-production of said gas.

A further object of said invention is to rovide a generator including a carbid ho der having a valve mounted for oscillation therein and operatively connected with the inverted bell of the gasometer so that on the downward movement of the bellV the valve will be actuated to deliver a charge of carbid to the generator.

A further object is to provide means actuated by the gasometer for agitating the carbid in the holder, and means also actuated by the gasometer for preventing access to the carbid holder when the valve is in open position.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this s ecication: Figure 1 is a vertical sectiona view of an acetylene gas generator constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig` 2 is a detail perspective view of the valve and casing. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the valve. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the operating arms of the valve and carbid agitator, respectively, showing the same in position onthe guide of the gasometer. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the filter detached. Fig. 6 is a detail erspective view of the closure for the carbid holder. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the device, portions of the carbid holder and generator being broken away to more clearly show the operating mechanism. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the actuating member, showing the position of the arms 0n the downward movement ofthe gasometer. Fig. V9 is asimilarview showing the position of the arms on the upward movement of the gasometer. Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 7.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the gures of the drawings.

The improved machine forming the subject matter of the present invention includes a gasometer 5, a generator 6 and a carbid holder 7, the latter being mounted on the generator 6 and connected therewith by a reduced neck 8. Extending transversely across the holder 7 is a cylindrical casing or housing 9 in which is mounted Jfor oscillation a valve 1() having a pocket 11 formed therein and adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of calcium carbid from the chamber 12 of the holder on each downward movement of the inverted bell 13 and deliver said charge through the neck 8 to the generator 6. The holder 7 is provided with a bottom section 14 inclined in the direction of the pocket 11 of the oscillating valve so as positively to direct the carbid into the pocket. Disposed above the bottom section 14 and j ournaled in suitable bearings 15 in the side walls of the holder is a rod 16 having one or more fingers 17 secured thereto for agitating the carbid in the holder thereby to assist in feeding the same to the valve. Secured to the inverted bell 13 is a laterally extending arm 18 having a threaded opening Jformed therein for the reception of the correspondin ly threaded reduced end 19 oi a vertica ly movable actuating member 20. The actuating member 2O is slidably mounted in a substantially cylindrical casing 21 rigidly secured to the lower section of the gasometer and is provided with intersecting longitudinally disposed ribs 22 having recesses 23 and 24 iormed therein and disposed near the threaded end 19 of said member, as shown. Disposed at the recesses 23 and 24 and mounted in suitable bearings on the member 2O are rollers 25 and 26 for actuating the valve and agitating devices, respectively.

rIhe valve 10 is provided with a stem 27 on the free end of which is mounted an arm 28, which latter is disposed in the path of movement of the roller 26 and bears against the adjacent rib 22. A similar arm 29 is rigidly secured to the adjacent end of the agitating rod 16 and arranged in the path vof movement of the roller 25, thereby to rock the rod 16 on each downward movement of the bell l13 and thus thoroughly agitatethe` contents of the holder 7. v`Detachably secured to the arm 28 is one end of a bracket 30 the other end of which is keyed or othery end of a chain or other flexible medium 32,V

the opposite end of which passes through an eye or staple 32 on the top of the carbid holder 7 and is 'fastened in any suitable manner to the free end of a pivoted guard lever 33, the opposite end of ,said lever being pivotally mounted on a post or standard 34 secured to the top of the carbid holder, as shown. rlhreaded in the intermediate portion of the guard lever 33 vis a vertically adjustable rod 35 on the lower end of which is swiveled a cap or cover plate 36 Aforming a closure for the feed aperture of the carbid holder. A stop pin 36 is secured to the top of the carbid holder for engagement with the free end of the pivoted lever 33 thereby to center the cap or cover plate 36 with 'respect to the feed aperture, there being a finger extended laterally from the upper end of the stop pin for reventing vertical movement of the guard ever when the rod '35 is actu ated.

Vvhen the valve 10 is moved to open position, the pull exerted on the chain 32 will cause the free end of the guard lever 33 to bear against the stop pin 36 and thus prevent the o erator or attendant from swinging the guard ever laterally and re lenishing the carl id in the holder through t e feed aperture when the valve is in open position. When thevalve 10 Tis in closed position, however, there will be a certain amount of slackv in the chain 32 so that the operator `by manipulating the screw 35 and swinging the guard lever laterally on its pivot may expose the feed aperture to permit the introduction of additional calcium carbid.

The generator 6 `is provided with an i-nclined bottom 37 and mounted for rotation in the generator near the bottom thereof is a blade or paddle 38 for stirring the sediment deposited in the Vgenerator and thus permitting the withdrawal of the same through a suitable cockor faucet39. A rod or shaft 40 is-secured to the l lade38'with its `upper end extending through the casing or 'housing 41 and provided with a terminal crank arm :.42

by means of which the blade may be rotated preparatory to drawing off the contents of the generator.

One end of a pi e or conductor 43 communicates with the interior of the generator 6, the opposite end thereof being `connected with a water main or other suitable source of supply for feeding water to said generator, there being a valve or stop cock 44 mounted 'in the pipe 43 for controlling the flow of water through said pipe.

`The body portion 5 of the gasometer is pro. vided with an auxiliary bottom 46 forminga compartment 47 adapted to contain a quantity of water or similar iiuid and through which the acetylene gas asses to the pipe 48, there being a remova le vent plug 48 threaded in the inverted lell 13 to permit the escape of air from said bell when starting the machine.

Secured to the body portion 5 of the holder is a filter or purifier 49 preferably in the form of a cylindrical casing having a conical portion 50 and a removalle cap 51, there being a valve or cock 52 communicating with the interior lof the casing for draining the liquid from the filter when desired. Disposed within the filter is a bed of charcoal 53 having a strip of felt or similar material 54 arranged above and below the same and through which the gas .passes on its Way to the service pipe 55.

Secured to the upper portion of the generator 6 is one end of a pipe or conductor 56, the lower end of which extends within the chamber 47 and is provided with a funnel shaped mouth 57 through which the gas from the generator is discharged into the chamber 47 from whence it passes through an opening 58 in the pi e 48 tothe bell 13 and thence downward y through another ipe 59 to `the purifier and thence to the urner tips. Y

The body portion 5 and bell ..13 are provided with telescopic pipe sections 59 and 60 one of which is kprovided with a series of perforations 61 through which the gas escapes in the pipe 59 and thence off through the branch pipe 62 incase of overproduction of gas in the generator.

A pipe or tube 63 communicates with the interior of the generator' at the lower end thereof Wit-h its opposite end provided with a flaredmouth or nozzle-64, this pipel^ eingemployed for filling the generator with water when the ipe 43 is dispensed with.

When `t e pipe '63 is used, Vthe latter Vis lprovided with a vcock or valve 65 arranged in transverse alinement with a similar valve 66 connected inthe pipe 56, said valves being united by -aconnecting section 67 to which is secured an operating lever '68 so that when the lever 68 Vis 'moved Yin vone direction -the valve '.65 -will lbe moved to open-position and `the valve .'68 Iclosed thus .permitting Water to be introduced in the generator 6 without permitting the escape of gas to the chamber 47.

' Under ordinary conditions the gas generated in the chamber 6 passes downwardly through the .pipe 56 into the chamber 47 and thencethrough the pipe 48 into the bell 13 from whence it passes downwardly through the pipe 59 into the purifier 49 and thence off to the several burner tips in the house. As the gas in the bell 13 is consumed, the latter will fall and in doing so will cause the arm 29 to enter the recess 23 and the roller 25 to bear against said arm and oscillate the rod 16 to agitate the carbid in the holder. A further downward movement of the bell will cause the arm 28 to enter the recess 24 and in which position the roller 26 will bear against said arm and oscillate the valve 10 so as to cause the latter to deliver the charge of calciuin carbid in the pocket 11 through the neck 8 into the generator 6. The gas generated from the carbid in the tank 6 will pass through the pipe 56 into the bell 13, in the manner before stated, thus causing the latter to rise and in doing so the adjacent wall of the recess 24 will engage and actuate the arm 28 to automatically close the valve, as will be readily understood. l

Attention is here called to the fact that on the opening movement of the valve the chain 32 will be placed under tension so as to prevent lateral movement of the guard lever 33 and when the valve is moved to closed position the chain will be slack so as to allow the attendant to readily shift said lever and open the cover plate 36 to permit the introduction of additional carbid through the feed aperture. It will also be noted that the recess 24 and roller 26 are disposed slightly in advance of the recess 23 and roller 25 so that on the downward movement of the bell the agitator will be actuated before the valve and on the upward movement of the bell the valve will be closed before the rod 16 is operated.

A suitable gage cock 7 0 is preferably threaded in the walls of the generator 6 at a point adjacent the top thereof thereby to indicate the height of the water in the generator when filling the same.

It will of course be understood that the cock is left open when the generator is being filled with water so that the attendant will know by the escape of water through the cock when the latter has reached the desired height.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In an acetylene gas generator, a gasometer including a bell, a carbid holder, a generator disposed beneath the carbid holder,

a valve operating within the holder for delivering a charge of carbid intermittently to the generator, an agitator disposed within the holder, said agitator and valve being each provided with a terminal arm, an actuating member movable with the gasometer and provided with spaced slots, and rollers journaled in said slots and adapted to engage and actuate the arms upon the rise and fall of the bell.

2. In an acetylene gas generator, a gasometer including a bell, a carbid holder, a enerator, a valve operating Within the ho der for delivering a charge ofl carbid intermittently to the generator, an actuating member carried by the bell of the gasometer and having spaced slots formed therein, rollers journaled in said slots and disposed one in advance of the other, an agitator arranged within the holder, angular arms carried by the valve and agitator, respectively, and arranged to enter said slots and engage the adjacent rollers for actuating said agitator and valve, the valve being timed to act subsequently to the agitator on the downward movement of the bell.

3. In an acetylene gas generator, a gasometer including a bell, a carbid holder having a filling orifice, a valve casing extending transversely of the holder, a valve mounted for oscillation in the casing and provided with a ocket having an inclined wall and adaptedD to receive a charge of carbid, a stem secured to the valve, an arm carried by the stem, an agitator mounted within the holder and provided with a terminal arm, and means carried by the bell and adapted to engage the arms for successively operating the agitating device and valve on the downward movement of the bell.

4. In an acetylene gas generator, a asometer including a hell, a carbid holder aving a filling orifice, a generator connected with the carbid holder, a valve arranged within the holder and provided with a pocket for delivering a charge of carbid intermittently to the generator, a stem secured to the valve and provided with a terminal arm, an agitating device arranged within the holder and provided with a similar arm, a guard lever mounted on the holder, a cap carried by the lever and arranged to close the filling orice when the valve is in open osition, a connection between the guard ever and valve, and means carried by the bell and engaging the arms for actuating both the agitator and valve.

5. In an acetylene gas generator, a gasometer including a bell, a carbid holder having a filling orifice, a valve casing extending transversely of the holder, a valve mounted for oscillation in the valve casing and provided with a ocket adapted to receive a charge of carbi a stem secured to the valve, an arm pivotally mounted on one end of the stem, -a bracket rigidly secured tothe valve the 'arm of l,the .agitator .and valve, respee: 10 stem and detachabl-ysecured tothe arm, an tively, 'for actuating these/Ine. i' agitator arranged VWithintlne holder and pro: In testimony that VI claim vthe `foregoing vided with a similar arm, a guard lever `piv: as my own,` I jhave hereto aHiXed my signa? i o tally mounted on the holder, a ca carried ture in the vpresence of ytWo Witnesses.

by the guard lever and forming a c osure for JOHN FRED HOFF MAN.V the filling orice, a flexible connection be- Witnesses: tween the guard lever and bracket, and means W. A. WALL,

Vcarried lby the bell for successively engaging MANNON BANKSON. 

